In Loving Memory Of...
open with the Polymorph Ascal transporting Shane, Ethan, and Harry in separate bubbles. The Appox Syndicate member has taken in the effects of not being able to breathe air and was knocked out moments ago. Shane begins to pound the inside of his bubble. Shane: Let us out of here! Polymorph Ascal: No. Harry: Where are you taking us? Polymorph Ascal: Classified. Shane: Why's it so classified? We didn't do anything wrong! That Appox guy started this all. Polymorph Ascal: That is somewhat irrelevant. Shane: What? So you don't care? People are fighting a guy, and everyone gets blamed. Polymorph Ascal: Irrelevant. Classified. Ethan: Don't worry, guys. I'll break us out of here. Nanochips begin to swarm around Ethan's body. The Polymorph Ascal stops in his tracks while transporting everybody. He makes the bubble Ethan is trapped in more acidic in the area where the nanochips had arrived. They all melt in their places. The Ascal continues. Or...not. Shane: We will break out of here. Polymorph Ascal: I detect that you are a victim of negated pairing. Is this correct? Shane: How would you know about that? Polymorph Ascal: The Ascals are all-knowing. We serve under Ben Tennyson, who is also all-knowing. Harry: That's a lie. Ben Tennyson doesn't know anything about us regular people, us small people. You guys are getting your info elsewhere. Shane: He's probably even leading us to their supplier, now aren't you? Polymorph Ascal: That information is classified. Harry: Forget it, Shane. He's not telling us a thing. would continue to be complete silence for awhile. While we're on our way, I thought I'd talk to you about--oh wait, I don't think we've been formally introduced. My name's Ethan. I don't think my friends established this, but we've all got nicknames, all part of our little team we have here. Mine's "Exo," Shane's is "Skipper"--or if his powers worked, "Sanction"--and Harry is "Howler." There's also our other friends, Nadine and Arabelle, but we don't really know where they are. If it's true that we're being led to our death, I just hope we get a chance to see my gir--err, I mean, our other friends later. Uhh...what was I talking about again? Oh, yeah. So, we all got affected by the Perfectation, but some of us may not have gotten powers as a result. In the case of Shane, even, he lost his natural powers. Let me go over myself and everybody else, then I'll talk about Shane's, err, handicap. Harry is a Luna Loboan. He is one of the luckiest ones affected by the Perfectation, because in reality, he wasn't actually affected by it. He was one of a very small group of people whose DNA was fused not with DNA that negated his powers or that killed him or that was even pure Human, but was of his Luna Loboan side. It made his alien powers even more, well, powerful. He became 3/4 Luna Loboan, and 1/4 Human. His human side is still dominant, but if another Perfectation were to happen, Harry theorizes that he wouldn't be able to sustain his human form--assuming he was hit with Loboan DNA again. Then there's Arabelle. You could call her the second Amelia Earhart. It was her dream for as long as I've known her to be able to fly, but to make flight a whole new thing for herself. She wanted to mark the next planet the human race would reach by means of rocket. The first step on Mars is supposed to be reserved for her. She's pretty lucky to have gotten the powers she has now, because in the blink of an eye, she could probably go up to Mars and come back. She's got some bird alien's DNA now. If it were up to me, I'd give her the nickname "Airheart," but Shane and Harry said they've got "awesome" unpredictable names up their sleeves for everybody. Since Shane's got a crush on Ara', I can only bet hers is the best of all of us. Oh, man, I didn't get a chance to talk about Nadine and I. Well, sorry, I'll try and bring it up later. We're here, we're at wherever. There appears to be a large crowd of people. Save for the Appox member, we were let out of our Polymorph cells into what appears to be city hall. Running up to us was Arabelle, who ran and hugged Shane first, and Nadine, an African American girl and Harry's best friend who ran up to Harry. Now you're gonna think I was left hanging, but nope. My girlfriend Kai arrived. Kai: Guys, where were you? Shane: Whoa, whoa, where were you girls? We said we'd meet up at the gas station, and you never showed. Kai: We were forced to come here, wherever we are. Nadine: It looks like city hall. Harry: We can see that, but why are we here? Nadine: Who knows? Polymorph Ascal: Pipe down, children. The master comes. The Ascal guards surrounding the crowd of people bows, facing a stage that rises out of the ground in front of the crowd. The Ascals force the whole crowd to follow suit. Moments later, a very familiar male voice is projected to the whole of the crowd from the stage. Familiar Male Voice: Stand, everyone. Let's get this over with. The Ascals rise. They make us rise. Most of the team looks around for a bit, but eventually found the stage where Ben Tennyson was standing with the Ascalon in hand and the Ultimatrix symbol visible through his armor. Assorted people in the crowd (murmurs): Is that Ben Tennyson? Ben Tennyson/Familiar Male Voice: Hey, everybody. Yes, I am Ben Tennyson. You may know me as Ben 10. Hands raise, and members of the crowd begin to speak out. Please, everyone. I once again can't take questions. Many sighs, moans, and groans erupt from the crowd. Member of the crowd #1: Ben Tennyson, you said you would be able to answer questions during your next report. Are you falling through with that promise or not? Ben Tennyson: I will fall through on the promise to have the questions answered, but I, *the* Ben Tennyson, will not be the one doing so. I won't even be talking for the duration of this speech. Member of the crowd #2: Then why did you call us here? Ben Tennyson: Because there is something important to be told to everyone, even those who are innocent, those who aren't involved in any of this. Member of the crowd #3: So, who do you expect will tell us? Ben Tennyson: The other Ben Tennyson will. He pops up the Omnitrix tower. There are gasps and "whoas" heard in the crowd. Ben smacks down on the Omnitrix. Echo Echo: ECHO ECHO! He splits in two, then reverts to human. Two versions of Ben become visible, the original to the left of the podium, and the new one--the speaker, who acquires glasses--at the podium. Ben Tennyson (speaker): Greetings, Omnitrix City-goers. I am aware you all have lots of questions, but I intend to get my point across now, then let you respond later. The point, the aim, the goal today is to speak to street gang members and those thinking about forming more gangs. We at the Tennyson Tower are fully aware that you exist. We are not happy that this is true. With the Perfectation, I had hoped for a world where all evil had been expelled. I gave you powers for the betterment of the planet and the human race. Why have you misused my gift to you all? Must I wipe from existence the rest of you, just as I have shown I can do with others? I have had the displeasure of having to remove people, from existence. I don't want to have to do it with a body of people as large as the gang members of Bellwood. The Westside Appox Syndicate, the Southeast Spade Sisters, I am speaking to you. You are not helping anyone. Appox, you are common criminals. You're no better than the thieves that once plagued Bellwood without superpowers. The Spade Sisters? You're no better. We'd argue that you're actually worse. You misuse your powers the worst. You are comprised of a very diverse body of hybrids. You could be making scientific advances, but instead, you use your powers to harm others and to steal from others. As Ben speaks, the group (Shane, Harry, Arabelle, Nadine, Ethan, Kai) begin to speak among themselves. Harry: You noticed how he didn't bring up the Kove at all? Arabelle: Well, he didn't bring up the Central Capters, or the northwest or Middle East gangs either. He's only listing the important groups. Harry: Ara', the Kove's pretty important. Shane: Harry's right. I don't think there's a single person that can't say they don't know what the Kove is. They've kidnapped people, probably even more than the Capters. Nadine: Who knows if maybe the Capters are the ones who have been stealing people? Harry: What do you mean? Nadine: What if the Capters are kidnapping people and giving them off to the Kove? Harry: Where's the basis for that theory, Nadine? Nadine: I don't know, it's just a possibility. Just think about it. Arabelle: I don't know, Nadine. If the Capters were so big, they'd get mentioned along with the Appox and the Sisters. Harry: And maybe the Kove'd get mentioned, too. Kai: Oh, would you stop with the Kove. Maybe Ben just forgot. Harry: Ben? You talk about him like he's your buddy. Ethan: Well, that would make sense for her, too. She's not his friend, but Kai certainly knows Ben, or at least, she knew Ben. She actually turned him down years ago. Shane: Wait. Kai, you're...you're Kai Green? Kai: Yeah... Harry: No way. We've heard all about you. We actually-- Harry is bumped by the Polymorph Ascal. Polymorph Ascal: Pay attention, or be removed. Several members of the group, notably Ethan, Nadine and Harry, roll their eyes then look back to Ben, but on the way to recentering his attention, Ethan picks up on something suspicious in the crowd. The crowd is filled with people, but one person manages to sneak in past at an unguarded section, wearing a black cloak with a large white "K" printed in the center back of the cloak. Ethan (whispering): Is that...? No way... sloppily drawn white K on a black cloak. It's the clearest sign of the Kove, ready to kidnap someone. I'm not gonna let anybody get captured. No one should have to witness that...especially if they're related to someone getting captured, like my mom was... Ethan snuck into action. He subtly left his group and crouched through the crowd after the Kove member. After getting fairly close to him, the member turned his head to look at Ethan. Ethan stopped in his tracks and watched as the Kove member slipped back out of the crowd, running. Ethan ran after him. Harry sees Ethan just as he slips away. As Ben continues to speak to everyone on stage, Harry whispers to his team. Harry (whispering): Guys, Ethan's going after someone. Shane (whispering): That doesn't make any sense. Did you see who he was going after? Harry: Some guy in a black cloak. Nadine (whispering): Must be a Kove member. Shane: Ethan can't be going at this alone. Nadine, Kai, Arabelle, you stay-- Nadine: Oh, no way, I'm not staying. I'm coming with this time. She points to the Appox member in a Polymorph bubble by leaning her head back at him. I missed out on the action before. I'm not doing it again. Shane: Well, there's five of us-- Kai: Hey, I'm a member of this team. Shane: Yeah, yeah, but S.H.A.N.E. accounts for five of us: that's me "Skipper," Harry "Howler," Arabelle "Aeriel," Nadine "Nerve," and Ethan "Exo." Kai: Then why don't we find another acronym that doesn't focus on you, "Skipper." Shane: I'm not discussing this. Two of you need to stay back. Harry, Arabelle, and Nadine look to each other. Harry: I'll stay back. The leader has to be out there, and Nadine wants to be in there. Your goal is to have three people, so I'm out. Shane: But Harry-- Nadine: But nothing, Shane. He said he wants to stay, so let him. Harry: Just following him. Assuming you won't get lost, you won't need me. If you do, though, I'll try and come as fast as I can. Shane: We'll find a way to get to you, then. Stay safe, Arabelle. Arabelle nods. Kai: And what about me? Shane: Err, yeah, you, too. Nadine, come on. Nadine nods and begins to follow Shane sneakily out of the crowd to follow Ethan. The two come out on a long road lined with cars that have either been stripped of most, if not all, parts or ones that have been destroyed. They spot Ethan in the distance, gliding on a hoverboard made out of nanochips that is similar in appearance to Shane's original. He wields a gun that fires nanochips in the forms of bullets, which seek its target or retreat to the gun after making enough distance and not making contact with anything. We're not going to be able to catch up to him. Nadine: Not like this, we won't. Two extra arms pop out of her body from just below her standard pair. Her skin becomes reddish and she becomes much taller and slimmer. A blue suit covers her upper body, and a white skirt appears that doesn't even reach down to her knees. In an only barely deeper voice: But Nerve's gonna be able to help us. She grabs hold of Shane and leaps a mile into the air. She lands just inches behind Ethan, who continues to speed away. Ethan flips around and spots his friends, throwing him off guard and leading the Kove member to blast Ethan off of his hoverboard. Ethan falls onto his back on his back on the ground, the hoverboard and his gun flying back to him in their decompiled nanochip forms. Shane and Nerve Nadine run over to Ethan. The Kove member turns around to look at the trio stand over Ethan. Shane: Exo, you alright? Ethan lifts his head just barely, moaning. Nadine lifts Ethan into his arms. Put him down, Nerve. He unzips his sweater and tosses it aside, revealing a long-sleeve black shirt and a blue belt on his pants. His presses down on the center of the belt. The center of his chest dons an emblem which is a five-pointed star, each point featuring a letter from "S.H.A.N.E." clockwise, starting at the top point. A helmet pops over his head with a blue star-shaped visor. Extremely deep voice: The Kove doesn't normally come out to these public events, but when you do, (he swiftly pulls out a gun and blasts the Kove member with a ball of green goo. The member slaps the blasts away before it reaches him, but finds that the goo has covered his left arm) you better expect S.H.A.N.E. to be there to stop you. The green goo begins to encompass the Kove member, who screams out in pain as if it was acidic. After taking over his entire body, the Kove member ceases to hover. He drops to the ground. Good work, te--'At least two dozen Kove members fade into opacity, all organized in a circle around the trio of S.H.A.N.E. The trio is blasted from above now, receiving sonic waves that push them down onto their knees, if they aren't already down, covering their ears.' What's--going--on?! Male Voice (from above): The true power of the Kove, my friend, that is what's going on. Shane (holding his ears, down on his knees): You're--you're the Kove's new leader aren't you? Male Voice: Heavens no. I possess a great deal of power, yes, but my potential far precedes the leader's. Shane: So who's your leader? Male Voice: I understand you want to keep an open friendship, pal, but that's on a need-to-know basis. Friendships have a lot of focus on keeping secrets, don't they? Shane: No, they don't. Male Voice: Oh, well, we'll make the exception here in our friendship. But I'll tell you a bit about me, since, after all, I know a ton about you three. My name is Ethan, like your friend's, but I'm not your Ethan. My name is Ethan Borek. Shane (eyes widening): Borek? Ethan Borek/Male Voice: Yes, you remember me, don't you, Shane? Shane: Unfortunately, yes. Ethan Borek: So then you remember how you, especially you, always picked on me in the early days. It's always in everyone's best interest to pick on the little one, the nerdy one, but who cares now? They always end up on top in the end, just like little Borek. I am now seated just below the leader, and if he is to perish, I will be the one true commander and chief of the Kove, the worst thing to happen to Ben Tennyson since we killed his grandfather. Shane: You killed Maxwell Tennyson? Ethan Borek: Yes, and I intend to continue on the line of Tennysons until Ben alone remains. Shane: So you just told us your plan? Ethan Borek: I suppose. But, know that plans can be easily adjusted at minor points. We could go for Tennyson right now if we wanted. The leader could eradicate that pest right now. Shane: Then why doesn't he? You guys want to do the Earth a favor, don't you? Ethan Borek: Oh, mind you, he has his reasons. Shane: So what are you even doing here, Borek? Ethan Borek: I'm here to deliver a message to its courier. Shane: What? Ethan Borek: Don't try and make sense of it. Just deliver the message for me. Ethan Borek ceases to emit sonic waves from his hand. He snaps his finger, and every Kove member blasts at Exo Ethan with powerful blue beams. Nerve Nadine and Skipper Shane simply stand in the center, unable to combat the beams. Borek holds up his hand, and the Kove stops. We're taking blood. If Ben wants to keep his own after this, he will hand over his weapons to the Kove. Shane: WHAT HAVE YOU DONE TO ETHAN? Ethan Borek: I'm absolutely fine, actually. Why do you ask? Skipper Shane growls then has Nerve Nadine put her hands together to launch him into the air. He attempts to punch Borek, but he misses, as Borek waves to Skipper Shane. Borek flashes away, along with the rest of his team. Skipper Shane begins to fall from the air, but arriving to cushion the fall is Aeriel Arabelle, with DNA from a feathered bird-like alien allowing her to have her arms transform into wings. She lowers Skipper Shane to the ground next to Exo Ethan, who has stopped visible motion and audible breathing entirely. Aeriel Arabelle, Nerve Nadine, and Skipper Shane surround Exo Ethan. Shane: The Kove means war. get a close up on Shane's face. Nowhere is safe for us, or them. We're getting them back for what they did to Ethan. OF EPISODE Category:Episodes Category:Clad in Darkness Chronology